Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Alpine Plant Life

Functional Plant Ecology of High Mountain Ecosystems

  • Textbook
  • © 2021

Overview

Authors:
  1. Christian Körner

    1. Department of Environmental Sciences (Botany), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Presents a unique and comprehensive treatment of plant ecology in high mountain regions of all parts of the world
  • Is the fully revised third edition of this successful textbook
  • Contains many photographs and line drawings, most of them in color

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xix
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Plant ecology at high elevations

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 1-22

  3. The alpine life zone

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 23-51

  4. Alpine climate

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 53-64

  5. The climate plants experience

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 65-88

  6. Life under and in snow: protection and limitation

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 89-118

  7. Alpine soils

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 119-140

  8. Alpine treelines

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 141-173

  9. Climatic stress

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 175-201

  10. Water relations

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 203-236

  11. Mineral nutrition

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 237-268

  12. Uptake and loss of carbon

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 269-308

  13. Carbon investments

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 309-333

  14. Growth and development

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 335-353

  15. Cell division and tissue formation

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 355-373

  16. Plant biomass production

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 375-394

  17. Plant reproduction

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 395-449

  18. Global change at high elevation

    • Christian Körner
    Pages 451-483

  19. Back Matter

    Pages 485-500
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

This book is a completely revised, substantially extended treatment of the physical and biological factors that drive life in high mountains. The book covers the characteristics of alpine plant life, alpine climate and soils, life under snow, stress tolerance, treeline ecology, plant water, carbon, and nutrient relations, plant growth and productivity, developmental processes, and two largely novel chapters on alpine plant reproduction and global change biology. The book explains why the topography driven exposure of plants to dramatic micro-climatic gradients over very short distances causes alpine biodiversity to be particularly robust against climatic change. Geographically, this book draws on examples from all parts of the world, including the tropics. This book is complemented with novel evidence and insight that emerged over the last 17 years of alpine plant research. The number of figures – mostly in color – nearly doubled, with many photographs providing a vividimpression of alpine plant life worldwide.



Christian Körner was born in 1949 in Austria, received his academic education at the University of Innsbruck, and was full professor of Botany at the University of Basel from 1989 to 2014. As emeritus Professor he is continuing alpine plant research in the Swiss Alps.


Reviews

“For me, the greatest appeal of this book is its strong anchoring in our shared cultural history of scientific research on alpine systems and its more personal, respectful attention towards alpine plants. … Körner’s book provides a valuable reference that points to how we may consider modifying our interactions to support the long-term integrity of life at the edges of the earth. … it provides motivation and tools for improving our responsible stewardship of life beyond the treeline.” (Jill Johnstone,Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 41 (4), 2021)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Environmental Sciences (Botany), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Christian Körner

About the author

Christian Körner was born in 1949 in Austria, received his academic education at the University of Innsbruck, and was full professor of Botany at the University of Basel from 1989 to 2014. As emeritus Professor he is continuing alpine plant research in the Swiss Alps.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Alpine Plant Life

  • Book Subtitle: Functional Plant Ecology of High Mountain Ecosystems

  • Authors: Christian Körner

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59538-8

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-59537-1Published: 01 April 2021

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-59540-1Published: 02 April 2022

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-59538-8Published: 31 March 2021

  • Edition Number: 3

  • Number of Pages: XIX, 500

  • Number of Illustrations: 36 b/w illustrations, 283 illustrations in colour

  • Additional Information: 1st edition: © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999 2nd edition: © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003

  • Topics: Ecology, Plant Sciences, Geoecology/Natural Processes, Nature Conservation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation